Family Outing
by ADemonNamedGrace
Summary: As the End of Days draws near, the archangels take their last chance to spend some time together.


"Uh, Dean?" Sam asked, staring dumbfounded after the Impala as it sped away across the desert. "Yeah Sammy?"  
"Did…did four archangels just steal our car?"  
"Yep."

Michael, of course was driving, white-knuckling the wheel as Lucifer laughed like a maniac next to him. On the rear passenger side, Gabriel was repeating, "HOLY SHIT!" and "I can't believe we just did that!" over and over again. Michael glanced in the rearview mirror, intending to see if the Winchesters were still in the parking lot, watching them, but instead caught Raphael cracking a smile. _Dean is going to kill me. _Michael thought idly, and then realized his brothers were probably listening in. Sure enough, Lucifer laughed even harder. "Can you even…imagine…what Sam will do to me?!" He chocked out. Gabriel suddenly yelled, "They will never forgive us!"  
"They don't much care for me anyway." Raphael added, his smile still crinkling the corners of his vessel's eyes. That got Lucifer laughing all over again.

Michael, it turned out, loved to speed. Nevada could be pretty lax with their enforcement, but eventually someone took notice that they were doing 95 in a 50 zone and the cops were on their ass. Michael, being Michael, took this as a challenge and floored it, pushing the beautiful car right to her, limits. Lucifer egged him, howling and jeering. Gabriel turned in the seat and stuck out his tongue at the cops behind them. Raphael would make sure they didn't hit anything, occasionally screaming "Bike!", or, "Child!" to warn Michael. "I see it!" Was always the response. Gabriel continued teasing the cops while Lucifer continued encouraging Michael to go _fasterfasterfaster! _"They're going to catch us!" Raphael pronounced. "Gabe! Take care of it!" Lucifer barked, not taking his eyes off Michael. He hadn't seen his big brother grin like that in far too long. Michael heard the thought and glanced at him. "On it!" Gabe, the baby, their baby, yelled. "Don't kill them!" Michael added. Gabriel groaned theatrically, and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, they were no longer on the streets, but driving through the empty desert. "DAMN IT GABE!" Three voices yelled, their laughed only half-stifled. "I don't think anyone will bother us out here." Gabriel said smugly.

The deserts on earth were beautiful. There was no arguing that. What was even more beautiful was Lucifer sticking his head out the window and grinning into the sky. Raphael was watching the passing scenery with amazement, and it occurred to Michael that he'd never been here before. "Gorgeous, right?" Gabriel asked, breaking the happy silence that had settled over the car. Raphael nodded. Silence fell again, until Gabe kicked the back of Lucifer's seat. His fallen (reformed?) brother pulled himself back into the car and looked back at him. "Yes?"  
"What was that song you used to sing us?" Gabriel asked, pulling Raphael's interest back into the car. Michael looked away from the windshield, eyes suddenly bright. "Yeah. What was that song?" Lucifer sighed. He was still smiling, but it was softer now, sad and distant. "Watch where you're going, Mike." He said quietly. "Only if you sing." The eldest insisted. Lucifer looked out the window, deep in thought. "_Where there was darkness, light is found. Where there was ice, fire now burns._" The other three would have held their breath, had they bothered breathing. "_Where night held domain, the sun takes hold. Where there was nothingness, a new world turns. Stars upon stars, filling every sky. And all of it under, our Father's watchful eye. Tigers in jungles, dolphins in seas, but up here in Heaven, there's you and there's me._" Until the last star in the last galaxy winked out, Michael would deny the tears that pricked in his eyes. Lucifer had been gifted with a voice so perfect, he could out-sing the entire holy choir effortlessly. Apollo, the Greek god of music, made the mistake of casually challenging him, and it had ended with Apollo throwing his lyre down in disgust. Nothing matched Lucifer's gift of song. What he was singing right now was a near nonsensical ditty he'd made up to sing to newborn angels and to amuse his brothers. It didn't seem amusing now. Now, it was just heartbreaking. Gabriel sniffed a little in the backseat, and Raphael was back to staring out the window. Lucifer cut off suddenly. "Come on, I hate that song." He said, forcing cheer into his voice. Michael tried not to ache at the loss of his brother's singing. "How about this one?" Lucifer continued, before launching into a differentsong.

Gabe wasn't sure what surprised him more: That Lucifer knew a human song by heart, or that it was one he himself liked. "_No fame, no money, I'm nobody, the way I'm running has sure got me down, on my knees, next stop, Vegas please!_" He finished on a high note, his feet on the dash, the easy, happy air returning. Michael had turned the car around, heading back to the motel where they'd left Sam and Dean. Raphael was laughing at a story Gabriel was telling. The other three archangels were the only ones who could ever make him laugh. The sun was sitting, painting the sky every imaginable shade of red, gold, purple, orange, and pink. Lucifer, finished with his song, nudged Michael, nodding out the window. "How wonderful is that?" He asked softly. "I can't imagine anything more perfect." Michael agreed. _Except you coming home. _He silently added, knowing that Lucifer had heard him. Raphael's laughter died, Gabriel's smile faded, Lucifer acted like he hadn't heard after all. None of them had mentioned the real reason for this joyride. None of them had mentioned that The Day was approaching, Time was running out, and Fate was not about to change. Heaven's princes, the tightest band of brothers to ever walk this or any world, were about to be reduced by at least one, maybe two. They were going to be torn apart, forever this time, so they decided to have one last hoorah, together, before it was too little and too late. They were silent, well, unless you count Lucifer humming, and Gabriel, Dad help him, shamelessly broke down crying. Raphael reached forward and gripped Michael's shoulder. Their seating arrangements weren't a coincidence. Raph was betting on Mike; Gabe was betting on Luci. Michael took a hand off of the steering wheel and patted Raphael's lightly. Lucifer looked over his shoulder and smiled tiredly at Gabriel. His vessel's rightful occupant, Andrew, woke up for the first time in decades, and quickly realized what was going on. _I am sorry, your grace. _He murmured. _I cannot imagine the pain you feel._ In the front seat, Lucifer reached over and took Michael's hand. Nick, hovering around the amygdala, made a snarky comment about them being a sweet couple, and then felt sorry when Lucifer was too depressed to snap back. Adam, for Michael's sake, remained mercifully quiet. Raphael was startled when Donnie, his vessel, abruptly spoke up. _Why don't you stop them? Why don't you even try?_

_Stopping them, would make things worse. It is not my job to stop them. _Donnie was at a loss for what to say.

Michael pulled into the motel parking lot, and the door flew open, revealing a furious Dean Winchester. His angry shouts stopped, however, when he saw the angels' faces. Raphael got out first, giving Dean a half-hearted wave. Sam appeared over his shoulder, his eyes finding Lucifer in the front seat. The others got out, and all moved to one side of the car. Lucifer, ignoring the stares of the watching hunters, grabbed his baby brother Gabriel and hugged him tight, maybe, probably, for the last time. Gabe pressed his face into Lucifer's neck. "I remember every lullaby you ever sang me." He mumbled. Lucifer brushed his nose over Gabriel's deep gold hair, lingering to catch the scent. "And I remember every silly little prank I ever pulled with you." He whispered back. Michael smiled weakly at Raphael, who managed a smile back. "I would not be even half the warrior I am today, were it not for your guidance. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Raphael said softly. Michael embraced him, grinning into his taller brother's shoulder. "Without you, I'd forget why I fight, so, thank you too, little brother." They broke apart. Lucifer hugged Raphael, and Michael gripped Gabriel to his chest. That left Lucifer and Michael gazing at each other. "Lucifer, I…"  
"Michael…" There was so much to say, so little time to say it. _You're my hero.  
I love you more than I love God himself.  
I miss you.  
Heaven's so empty without you. _Gabriel and Raphael kept out of those thoughts, watching their big brothers watch each other. They didn't hug. They didn't even touch. They just sort of, smiled, one last time. And with that, and a flurry of wings, the brothers officially parted company.


End file.
